Design Systems

A design system is a centralized library of guidelines that can be used by organizations to maintain consistency in the design and development of digital products, interfaces and experiences.

Updated: December 5, 2023

A design system is a centralized library of guidelines that can be used by organizations to maintain consistency in the design and development of digital products, interfaces and experiences. Detailed documentation on how to implement design elements in various situations are provided in it. 

Brand rules, assets, or any other part of the brand of a company is included in it. A design system serves as a single source of information for designers to streamline design and branding processes.

Brand design systems, UI design systems and Accessibility design systems are three types of design systems depending on the usage. Tokens, Assets, Components and Patterns are basic elements of a design system.

Design systems help companies boost brand recognition and trust with brand consistency across all customer touchpoints. Design and development processes can be streamlined by providing reusable guidelines, components, and patterns. These design systems help build a strong foundation for new products by standardizing brand identity. Costs can be cut by reducing duplication of effort, minimizing errors, and saving time.

Documentation, Modular design, Accessibility and Training are some best practices to follow for an effective design system. Users can understand how to use the system effectively with clear documentation. It can be ensured that the system can be updated, customized, and scaled if it is organized. It can also be ensured that all components are designed to be accessible to all users by including accessibility guidelines.